On September 20, on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78) in New York (USA), German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock commented on the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
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| After two days of launching an operation against separatist forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared on September 20 that Baku had achieved its goal. (Source: AA) |
Specifically, Foreign Minister Baerbock emphasized: "Azerbaijan and Russia must especially ensure the safety of people in their own homes."
According to her, tensions in the Nagorno-Karabakh region can only be resolved through a diplomatic solution, which the European Union as well as the German government are working to achieve, including on the sidelines of the UNGA.
“A peaceful solution to this conflict can only be achieved if past and present military actions are stopped immediately,” Ms. Baerbock asserted.
On September 19, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is home to a majority of Armenians. Baku has fired heavy artillery at separatist militias, killing dozens of people, including many civilians. This attack is causing international concern about the risk of a full-scale war.
On the same day, September 20, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced that all goals set by Baku for the campaign in Nagorno-Karabakh had been achieved and the country had restored its sovereignty.
“Thanks to the successful initiation and completion of anti-terrorist measures, Azerbaijan has restored its sovereignty…The Azerbaijani army has significantly eliminated the Armenian military forces in Karabakh,” President Aliyev said.
He also stated that Azerbaijan's actions were "fair and completely justified", affirming that Baku bears full responsibility for what happened and guarantees all rights of Armenians living in the region. According to the head of Azerbaijan, before starting the campaign in Karabakh, the country's army was instructed not to put civilians in danger.
In addition, President Aliyev also commented that Armenia's stance is "understanding and encouraging". Accordingly, he hopes that this will contribute to improving relations between the two countries in the future.
In another development on the same day, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and Russia-Armenia relations.
President Putin previously expressed hope that tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh would ease and the situation in the region would move towards peace. According to the leader, Russian peacekeepers are actively working with the conflicting parties.
According to some sources, through the mediation of the command of the Russian peacekeeping force in Nagorno-Karabakh, the two sides reached an agreement on a complete cessation of hostilities from 13:00 on September 20, 2023 (local time).
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